1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates generally to a print controlling apparatus, an image forming apparatus, a method of controlling print, a method of image forming, and a computer-readable recording medium. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a print controlling apparatus to generate and output an alpha-blended image of a transparency object when printing data includes the transparency object, an image forming apparatus, a method of controlling print, a method of image forming, and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image forming device prints printing data generated by a device such as computer, onto a recording paper. Examples of the image forming device include a copier, a printer, a fax machine, and a Multi-Function Peripheral (MFP) for incorporating the functions of them in a single device.
A user can apply various effects to a document generated using an application program. Among them, a transparency function, which makes the document look classy, is frequently used by many users in the document writing. However, when the document with the transparency is printed, the transparency is not printed clearly as it seems to be clear on a screen of a display device.
In detail, a conventional printer driver generates the printing data in a printer language such as PCL and PS. Since such a printer language does not define an alpha blending process, a word processor converts data to pattern ROP and provides the converted data to the printer driver. Accordingly, conventional printer driver and image forming device render and output the transparency pattern of the original document according to the pattern ROP.
However, the pattern ROP combines two object images using the transparency pattern and shows the two images blended according to the result. When an image is combined with a particular halftoning screen used for halftoning in the image forming device, its image quality can be degraded.
Further, the degraded image quality can distort the defined pattern when the original image is enlarged or reduced and thus produce an unpleasant output. Particularly, when the scale is not precisely an integral multiple such as ½, 2×, and 4×, the output result can be further degraded.